Device for throwing life-lines



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. SCHMITT. DEVICE EOE THROWING LIEE LINES. No. 538,626. Patented Aprlv so, 1895.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

y A. SCHMITT. DEVICE EOE TEEOWING LIEE LINES.

Patented Apr. 30, 1895.l

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Y TA/ESSES 52% (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. A. SCHMITT. DEVICE FOR THROWING LIEE LINES.

/NVENTH M TTHNEYS Penisentd Apr. 30, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE,

ANTON SCHMITT, OE BUTLER, NEW' JERSEY, ASSIGN OR OF THREE-FOURTHS TO ALBERT STROEBELE, OF SAME PLACE, AND WILLIAM HERBERT, OE

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

`DEVICE FOR THRONINGy LIFE-LINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,626, dated April 30, 1 895.

Application filed November 13, 1894. Serial No. 528,624. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTON SCHMITT, of Butler, in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Life-Line-Throwing Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

The invention relates to life and vessel savlng apparatus, and its object is to provide to a new and improved apparatus for use on marine vessels, to establish communication with the shore, and to aid adisabled or drifting ship in making a safe landing.

The invention consists principally of an I5 anchor adapted to be iired from a cannon on board the vessel, and carrying a line for drawing a heavy chain or cable to the said -anchor after the latter is embedded in the ground, the said chain or cable being adapted zo to be fastened in the anchor by the line, so that on winding up the chain or cable on a windlass on board the vessel, the latter is dragged toward the anchor and shore, and a landing is effected.

z 5 The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be hereinafter fully described and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying 3a drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures..

Figure l is a perspective view of the irnprovement as applied. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the anchor with the grapnel-arms closed. Eig. 3 is a similar view of the same with the arms open. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the same on the line 4. 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similar view of 4o the same on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is an lenlarged side elevation of the cannon for shooting the anchor, parts being in section. Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the same with the anchor in position in the cannon-barrel.

front end view ot' the same. Fig. 9 is an enlarged transverse section of the same on the line 9 9 of Fig. 7. Fig. lO is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the cable-head, and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged Fig. l1 is an enlarged. sectional side eleva- 5o tion of the anchor with the cable-head in place thereon.

The improved apparatus comprises principally a cannon A located on board the vessel B and adapted to lire an anchor C having grapnel arms D, so as to securely hold the anchor O in the ground at or near the shore. The anchor O carries a line E, which has one end fastened on the carriage of the cannon A, the other end unwinding from a drum E held on the carriage and shown in Fig. 6. Thus, when the anchor O is tired onto the shore, the line E is carried along in such a manner that its ends remain on board the vessel, so that one end can be connected with the head` F of a heavy chain or cable F, which can .be then drawn out by the line E and fastened in the anchor O, as indicated in Eig. ll, to iirrnly connect the vessel with the anchor located in the ground at or near the shore. By then winding up this chain or cable on a suitable drum or windlass on board of the vessel B, the latter can be dragged toward the shore so as to effect a safe landing.

The anchor O is arranged in the shape of a projectile, to t snugly in the barrel A of the cannon A, and in and between the breech- K block A3 of the cannon and the anchor C is placed al charge G of any suitable construc- `tion and composition, to tire the said anchor 8o O out of the barrel to the shore, as previously explained. Now, in order to obtain the proper direction for the anchor O when firing the same from the cannon, I mount the barrel A on a carriage A2 adapted to be turned and 85 moved into an inclined position to give an inclined position to the cannon barrel as the case may require.

The anchor O is provided with a body C', having a pointed end and provided with a base C2 bolted or otherwise fastened to the base or rear end of the body O1. The latter is provided with a bore C3 registering with a conical bore C4 in the base C2, and through these registering bores extends one run of 95 the line E, the latter passing at the front end of the bore C3 through a small bore O5 to a pulley E2 mounted to rotate in suitable yielding bearings arranged in the head C. From this pulley extends the other run of the line E, through registering apertures CG and C7 in the body C' and base C2, so as to return to the drinn E' mounted on the carriage A2, as previously mentioned and illustrated in Fig. 6.

One end of the line E is provided with a loop E2, connected with a spring E4, fastened on a bracket E5, on the carriage A2, so that a yielding connection is made between the bracket E and the line to prevent entangling of the line at the timethe anchor C strikes and buries itself into the ground.

In the bore C3 is held loosely a tube H, through which passes part of the line E as is plainly indicated in Fig. 2, and this tube H is adapted to engage a funnel I held in the base C2 and adapted to form a guideway for the head F' of the heavy chain or cable F at the time the latter is to be connected with the anchor C. See Fig. l1.

The front end of the tube H is provided with a cap H', on which presses a spring J coiled in the bore C3 and resting against the front end thereof, the said spring being h eld in a closed orcompressed position by the cap H', which is engaged by hooks K, pivoted at their rear ends on links K' resting on the front v -of the bore C3 and pivotally connected with a rod K2 extending centrallythrough abore C8 in the front end of the body C', as is plainly shown in Fig. 2. The extreme outer end of this rod K2 is provided with a head K3 extending beyond the point of the body C' so as to first strike the ground at the time the anchor is fired, whereby the said rod K2 is pressed inward to -cause the links K' todiseugage the hooks K,

. ,So as to release the cap I-I' and to permit the spring J to force the tube H outward through the bore C4 of the base G2, and to carry the funnel I along, as shown in Fig. 3, the outward movement of the tube H being limited by the cap I-I' being seated against the inner face of the base C2. The rod K2 is held normally in an outermost position by a spring K4V coiled on the rod K2 and pressing on a collar K5 thereof, as is plainly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In order to enable the tube H to carry the funnel I, and to dislodge the same from the base C2, as previously explained, I provide the rear end of the tube witha shoulder H2 adapted to engage an annular recess I', formed in the funnel I, so that on the outward move ment of the said tube, the shoulder engages the annular recess, and consequently carries the funnel I along. The latter is normally held in position in the conical borel C4 of the base C2 by having its inner end slightly vbent over to form flanges I2 lightly seated on the inner face ofthe base C2. As the funnel I is made of ,sheet metal the flanges I2 readily disengage th-e inner face of the base C2, as the metal bends or yields4 inwardly by being struck with considerable force bythe tube H propelled outward by the force of the spring J The grapnel arms D, previously mentioned are preferably three in number, as indicated in Fig. 5, and each is pivoted at D' on the forward end of the body C', andjis adapted to fold into a longitudinal recess formed in the body C', so as to present no projection on the body surface when the anchor is in position in the barrel A'. Each arm D is bifurcated at its pivot-point D' and recessed along its outer face to receive a pivoted arm DX also fitting flush With the outer surface of the body as seen in the drawings. Each grapnel arm D is held in a closed position by the wall of the barrel, but as soon as the anchor is iired out of the cannon barrel, the grapnel arms swing into an open position, as shown in Fig. 1, by the action of V-shaped springs D2 pressing on the inner faces of the said arms, as will be readily understood by reference to the drawings. On the pivot end of each arm D is formed a shoulder D2, adapted to be engaged by a pawl D4, pivoted in the body C' and pressed down by a spring D5. See Figs. 2 and 3. Then the arms D and DX swing outward by the action of the spring D2, then the shoulder D3glides over the free end ofthe pawl D4, so that a return or closing movement of the arm DX is prevented when a pull is eX- erted on the rear end of the body C'. Thus itwill be seen the projectileis provided with two sets of arms D and DX, the forward arms D being rigid while the rear arms D are elastically held open.

In order to prevent the grapnel arms from closing in case they have not fully opened, and prevent them from closing by the lug DS and pawl D4, I provide a spring-pressed pin L for each arm, the said pin being itted to slide in the body C resting normally on the inner face of the arm D. See Fig. 2. Now,

IOO

when the arm D swings outward after leaving the barrel A', the said pin L is forced outward by its spring L', and in case the arm D tends to close bythe nature of the ground in which the anchor was fired, then it will strike the said pin L, which thus prevents a complete closing of the arm D, as will be understood by reference to the bottom line in Fig. 3. The lug L2 on the said pin L prevents the latter from returning to a closed position, the said lug resting against the outer surface of the body D'.

The charge Gpreviously mentioned is provided With a number of heads G', G2, G3, between which the explosive material is placed, and which are connected with each other by indestructible tubes d, through which the runs of the linefE pass, the latter also passing through apertures in the said heads G', G2, G3, to prevent the line from being injured at the time the charge explodes, to propel the anchor D out of the barrel A'.

The head F for the chain or cable F is provided With wings F2, normally folded into a recess in the forward end of the head, the said wings being pivotally connected with the IIC . the run with the chain or cable attached cable F may now be used for sending baskets ses,

head at F3 as is plainly shown in Fig. 10. The l inner sides of the wings F2 are pressed on by i the free ends of the V-shaped spring F4 held in the said head, andthe outward swinging motion of the wings is limited by pins F5 held in the wings and engaging segmental slots F6 formed in the head. Now, it will be seen that by this arrangement the wings F2 are normally in an open or outermost position, so as to extend, at their free ends, beyond the surface of the base to engage the inner face of the base C2 of the anchor C, as shown in Fig. 1l, and as hereinafter more fully described in detail. y

The head F is of a size corresponding to the smallest diameter of the funnel I, so that when the head passes into the funnel the Wings F2 are closed while passing through the smallest part of the funnel, and they are again expanded by the force of the spring F4 after the wings have passed the smallest diameter of the funnel.

The barrel A is preferably provided with longitudinal ribs as shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, engaged by correspondingly shaped longitudinal grooves formed in the exterior surface of the body C', so that the anchor C is properly guided while being shot out of the barrel to its destination.

The operation is as follows: Vhen the vessel B is disabled or has passed into a dangerous position near the shore, then the charge G in the cannon A is Iired, to shoot the anchor C out toward the shore, the anchor carrying the line E, so that when the anchor finally burrows into the ground at or near the shore, then it is held securely in place by the grapnel arms D, and at the same time communication is established with the vessel by the line E. A chain or heavy cable is now fastened to one end of the line E removed from the cannon barrel A and then the other end of the said line is pulled so that moves outward, while the other run is hauled in, it being understood that the line readily passes over the pulley E2 contained in the body C as. previously explained. The head F on this chain or cable F finally enters the funnel l, and by its expanded wings F2 moves the funnel inward to again seek the said funnel in the bore C4 of the base C2 as is plainly illustrated in Fig. 1l, and then the wings F2 again close, on a further pull of the line E, the said wings then passing through the mouth or narrow portion of the funnel to the inside of the enlarged front end of the bore C3, to again swing outward or expand to abut against the inner face of the base C2. By this arrangement the head F is securely con nected with the anchor C, so that a Very strong connection is made between the fastened anchor and the vessel B. This chain or containing human beings to the shore, or the end of the cable on board of the ship is wound a pulley in the said anchor and having its ends extending to the vessel, and a chain or cable connected with the said line and having a head adapted to be drawn by the said line into engagement with the said. anchor, sub-V stantially as shown and described.

2. Asaving apparatus of the class described, comprising an anchor having grapnel arms, a line passing over a pulley in the said anchor, and a cable or chain having a head connected with one end of the said line, and having a head adapted to engage, the said anchor, substantiallyY as shown and described.

3. A saving apparatus of the class described, comprising an anchor having grapnel arms, a line passing over a pulley in the said anchor, a cable or chain connected with one end of the said line, and having a head adapted to engage, the said anchor, and a funnel for guiding the said cable head in the said anchor, substantially as shown and described.

4. Asaving apparatus provided with an anchor having a headformed with a conical bore, and a cable base having spring-pressed wings adapted to pass through the said anchor base to the inside of the anchor, the said wings opening to abut against the inner case of the said anchor head, substantially as shown and described.

5. A saving apparatus provided with an anchor having spring-pressed grapnel arms, and pins adapted to be released by the said arms at the time the latter swing open, the said pins serving to prevent the arms from closing, substantially as shown and described.

6. A line throwing projectile comprising a body adapted to be discharged from a gun and provided with two sets of arms, the ends of the arms of one set being located behind the ends of the arms of the other set, substantially as set forth.

7. A line throwing projectile comprising a body adapted to be discharged from a gun and provided with two sets of arms, one set of arms being shorter than the other set substantially as set forth.

8. A line throwing projectile having two sets of grappling arms adapted to fold liush with the surface thereof, the ends of the arms of one set extending behind the ends of the arms of the other set substantially as set forth.

9. A line throwing projectile having two sets of grappling arms adapted to fold liush with the surface thereof when the projectile is in the gun, the ends of the arms of one set ex- ICO IIO

ile is discharged from a gun, one set of said arms being provided with means whereby the arms are held rigidly against folding, substantially as set forth.

l2. A line throwing projectile having tWo sets of grappling arms, one set being elastically held in an unfolded position and the other set being rigidly held in an unfolded position, substantially as set forth.

ANTON SCHMITT.

Witnesses:

THEO. G. HosTER, JNo. M. RITTER. 

